


Patiently Impulsive

by Mousekins



Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3, Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Happy Ending, Lucas can't really talk so good and pauses a lot, M/M, Ness has strong empathy, but until that day here's a fic about them being adorable together, not a lot of speech in this- I don't like writing speech it gets awkward really quickly, one of these days I'll write about them actually doing things in the smash bros universe, soft boys have nightmares, spoilers for mother 3 and mentions of Giygas but it's kinda vague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-30 01:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18305798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mousekins/pseuds/Mousekins
Summary: Ness has a running history of act first; regret later, and for the first time in a long while, Ness didn’t regret his impulses.





	Patiently Impulsive

For all the shit Lucas had to deal with in his life; he sure was a patient kid. Every move he made, every decision he came to, every word he spoke was given at least a moment of careful consideration. Most would have called him slow for that, maybe weak of mind or to a lesser extent, shy. Ness knew that wasn’t the case and though Lucas had never gone out of his way to tell him exactly why, he figured it wasn’t worth pushing. Lucas had his own way of dealing with things, even if that way was patient and calculated.  


Ness on the other hand was far more impulsive, he realises that life is far too short, his journey had begun with impulse and ended with impulse. He acted first and felt guilty later, it was just how he went about his life, and though it appeared to frustrate Lucas to no ends it never cropped back up. Lucas would simply incline his head and nod at him like a cat watching a drowning mouse.  


Lucas had moments where he would slip up, he would say something a little too quickly and stumble over his words, not express what he meant to say properly. He’d apologise and think it over, he’d apologise again, and nothing drove Ness further up the wall than that. He’d insist it was okay, everyone slips up, everyone makes that mistake and Ness had regrettably lashed out at him on a few occasions for apologising too much.  


It was a part of his impulse, a part of his ‘act first guilt later’ policies. Lucas would be hurt, Ness would make it up to him with soft words, and through little whimpers Lucas would forgive him. Ness can’t help but think a relationship like this was unhealthy, opposites don’t attract like that, Lucas didn’t deserve to be hurt any more than he deserved to hurt him. Whenever he withdrew from Lucas’ company though, he could feel the psychic link between them grow, Lucas prodding in his mind for his whereabouts, worried and concerned.  


There had been a time where Lucas had cried so hard Ness had to rub circles into his back while he threw up, through near hyperventilation and puffy eyes he had asked him to stay, please stay, stay longer, _please_ . Ness vowed to never let Lucas have to go through that again. It had stayed a distant memory for them both and they never spoke of it since.

It had been an all-too-quiet night when Lucas had sat on his bed in his pyjamas, breath minty and eyes downcast. His voice was almost too quiet to hear, but Ness felt the tugs of his powers shining through, empathy pouring into his chest as he felt Lucas’ crushing sadness. Words couldn’t describe the empty feeling, the welling up in his own eyes had come faster than he could stop it, and they had cried into each other like Ness had lost his own family. Like the void in his chest belonged to him and not the grief-stricken boy cradled in his arms.  


It was the same night, the same moment, when Lucas had told him about his twin brother. How he had ran off, how he wished he had thought of his wording better, how he wanted to turn back the clock and stop Claus from running away. Why he was so considerate of his words, why he apologised, why he couldn’t stand being alone. He had grown up with a near-reflection beside him and suddenly it had been stripped away.  


In a similar vein Lucas was scared of thunderstorms. Thunderclaps reminded him of earthquakes and the flashes in the sky brought memories of his final moments with his twin. Ness understood his pain, though not on a physical level, but the gentle waves of sadness and fear bubbling in his chest were familiar to him. Lucas held no shame in squeezing Ness’ chest with his arms, and Ness held no shame in reciprocating. His sister had the same problems and Ness wasn’t going to turn down a request for comfort- especially not when they needed it most.  


Ness’ heart ached sometimes, it longed for home and the soft-spoken mother that awaited for him there. He missed his sister and his dog, he missed the small town of Onett, and Lucas would smile and tell him to call to home. He can’t help but feel like there were unspoken words whenever Lucas said it, the little sourness on the tip of his tongue when he mentioned ‘home’. Ness reminds himself that Lucas lost half of his family within a few years, and Ness feels Lucas is lucky for knowing his father despite both of them being distant.  


Sometimes there’s moments of silence between them. The wind would carry their breath and the stars would look at them, into their unforeseen futures, and Lucas makes the casual observation that some of them have probably died already- they just don’t know it yet. Light travelled faster than the naked eye could detect, and stars were really far away, so if they had burned out nobody would see it until thousands of years later.  


It fills Ness’ heart with sadness, and Lucas’ hand rests on his arm in comfort. Ness would soon hold Lucas’ hand and it would be fine; he could regret the action later, even if he was shaking.  


Lucas mentions one day that they’re a lot like the ebbing tides and the shores that meet them, drifting away and crashing back into each other. How they would roll into one another, creating ripples and chipping away at the imperfections, making little gaps they’d worm their influence into. It was a natural thing to happen, and Ness’s chest tightens and floods with the unwavering feelings of warmth and _love_ \- love that wasn’t expected to be reciprocated.

Ness smiles at Lucas, wide and holding back the little clouds of sadness forming in his stomach. _If only he knew_ .

There were times they’d awaken at 2am, in cold sweat with shaking breaths, holding each others hands for the assurance the other was there. Faces would distort in Ness’ vision, clenching around his throat and cutting his air, turning his limbs numb and paralysing him until Lucas’ warm gaze and gentle voice would bring him back. Tears would cascade from his eyes and Lucas would hold him until the hiccups stopped and the faces would dissipate.  


Lucas hated to be held after his nightmares. Ness had found out the hard way. He had reached for the blonde only for the other to push him back with psychic energy, it had almost flung him into the wall. Ness hadn’t been prepared, and the bruises had lasted for weeks- his ribs had broken, and Lucas couldn’t stop apologising to him, offering to heal him or do anything to offset the pain. A PK Lifeup on the tips of his fingers and regret laced on his features. Ness was fine with a bit of blood and broken bones if it meant that Lucas was okay in the end.  


They had devised a method after that. Lucas would throw up a shield if he didn’t wish to be touched, he would curl into himself, his breath shaky but deep. Ness would let him calm down before approaching, not getting close to the shield but being there in case Lucas needed somebody. Sometimes he just needed a moment, sometimes he needed the assurance he’s not alone, sometimes he wanted to curl up with somebody close and sleep on them.  


They didn’t mind going a night without sleep for the other.  


It had taken Ness far too long to notice that Lucas could talk to animals. The way he’d whisper to nearby birds, perk up whenever there was a snake, and his enthusiasm for dogs. He’d figured that Lucas was fond of animals, he’d grown up around a snake and a dog, nature seemed to flock around him. Ness had felt dumb for quite some time after he realised that Lucas could legitimately talk to the creatures, and blamed it on sleep deprivation.  


Lucas thought that he was too touchy over the littlest things. Conversations would end all too abruptly when he’d sling his arm over Lucas’ shoulders, or brush their arms together, or ruffle his hair in playful jest. Ness is reminded of the rolling waves and the reluctant shores and as the regret sinks in, Lucas nudges their arms together and smiles warmly. It flickers something within his chest, the empathy links coming back.  


_Unrequited love,_ expectedly _.  
_

Ness smiles back at him, aware that Lucas had had enough for the moment, and excuses himself to “Uh, ah, train for a bit, maybe.” It was hardly smooth, but the laugh he got from the blonde was more than worth the fumbling of his words. The tides would go out, and the shores would rest easy until the morning, untouched and perfect.  


Lucas needed space as much as he needed contact, and through the years of them being friends, Ness had found it easier to tell which one the blonde needed more. The strengthening empathy between them had tipped him off one way or another, but the subtle movements and little invites were often a better clue. Lucas could feel lonely and not desire touch, or feel overwhelmed and require somebody to ground him. In turn, Lucas had learned to not take the first words out of Ness seriously, to wait with his everlasting patience until the evenings when his true feelings would spill free of his thoughts.  


It was the evenings that meant the most to them.  


The sun would set, the north star would appear, and Lucas’s face would light up with the soft orange tints of the Sun’s rest and the Moon’s awakening. Lucas was never a morning person, and Ness was hardly a night owl. Sunset was the only time they’d truly bond. Ness would be retrospective on his thoughts of the day, his drowsiness allowing more than the truth to spill, and Lucas would be relaxed enough to accept the truths presented to him.  


Lingering twilight and soft prickles of warmth in Ness’ chest cause him to catch Lucas’ eyes on him, and Lucas darts his gaze back to the sky. The pangs return, and Ness wonders just how long it would take for Lucas to notice the soft looks he’d been returning, how long it would take before Lucas would break down the wall between them and express the feelings aloud. Ness’ purple hues meet that of soft blues, and the lazy smile on his lips is returned.  


_His chest hurts.  
_

Ness’ empathy worked in strange ways, the feelings would always come from his chest. They’d hit him right where he didn’t want to be hit, the emotions would squeeze at his lungs if they were too strong, and they’d prickle his throat if too weak. Oftentimes Lucas would connect with him and he’d go into a soft coughing fit, only for his lungs to tighten with worry and short-circuit his breathing. Ness forgave him every time- it was worth the pain to know how the other was feeling.  


In return Lucas had learned to control his inner emotions a lot better, and while he was relieved that he could breathe around him again. It caused him to miss out on the little flickers and speckles of love he would feel. Love felt less like suffocation and more like warmth, like he was being bathed in a hot bath, or a hot spring. Ness figures there’s only one way for those speckles to come back, and he’d be the first to cave in over their emotions. The emotions that Lucas felt was unrequited, and the ones Ness had been too hasty to dismiss.  


Sunset warms their faces, and Lucas’ company warms Ness’ heart. The little bursts of heat within in chest whenever Lucas looks at him- the tingles of their empath link in full force- make him smile, truly.  


“Lucas?” Purple meets blue. “I have to tell you something important,” psionic pink meets yellow. “I’ve been noticing warm bursts in our empathy link.” Hexagons meet circles. Blue meets purple. Lucas’ eyes widen and before he can say anything, Ness raises his hands in a surrendering motion, scooting a little closer, the skin of their arms touching.  


He inhales, deliberating the best way he could express these feelings. He smiles, bright. He doesn’t need the long analogies of the stars and the shores, and he doesn’t quite let go of the panicked and longing look in Lucas’ eyes. Like little galaxies swirling and sparkling, the little sparks between their fingers as the Psionic energies- soft pink and gentle yellows- burst between their suddenly enclosed hands.  


“I love you, Lucas.”    


Warmth blooms out in his chest, his cheeks dusting a few shades darker as the blood rushes across his body, and within Lucas’ slowly welling up eyes, he can sense it. The love he thought he would never have, the feelings had come crashing forward with a little too much force. Lucas tries to respond, saliva too thick to properly form words. Ness’ hand is placed on his cheek, the empathy flowing twice fold, and yet warming and whole.  


Ness felt dizzy, and between soft sobs and tight hugs, Lucas laughs- weak and airy, but rid of grief and filled with affection. A moment of silence, pensive and calculated. Lips brought softly against his cheek, hot breath against his ear.  


“I love you, too.”  


For the first time Ness didn’t regret his impulses, and with careful motions he leans in to catch Lucas’ lips against his own.

**Author's Note:**

> I keep thinking of cute things these two can do and it hurts me that I'm in so deep ;w; 
> 
> One of these days I'll write about them in smash bros and maybe I'll make something that's more than one chapter long... maybe. Until then though, enjoy this. 'w'b
> 
> EDIT: fixed a little wording error I didn't catch, hecc. Always re-read your fics in the morning, kids.


End file.
